Eye-testing apparatus



1934- J. w. SMITH 1,931,438

EYE TESTING APPARATUS Filed Jul 'le, 1951 bsefi/i 2416777277:

BY ag, M v

ATTORN 6.

INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 20, I934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,981,438 I EYE-TESTING APPARATUS Joseph W. Smith, Cambridge; Ohio Application July 16, 1931, Serial No. 551,104

12 Claims. (01'. sis-20) This invention relates to eye-testing apparatus, per end of the plate 5, the latter being tapered in and more particularly to devices for determining or domed toward the upper end 8, and the clamprefractive correction for bifocal segments; and it ing-member thence continuing in bow-contour 9 is among the objects of the invention to provide to the clamping extension '7 which is to directly apparatus for accurately determining the proper engage over and back of the spectacle frame rim. 00" position for the bifocal segment in any particular A reinforcing or backingelement 10 is desirably case. A further object is the provision of easily incorporated with the upper end of the clamping regulable mounting for test-glasses, facilitating element, in order to afford 'a maximum of strength placement and changes. Other objects and adand resiliency with lightness of construction, the

10 vantages will appear as the description proceeds. whole providing a bow-spring whose upper end 65 To the accomplishment of the foregoing and is anchored and whose lower end is positioned related ends, the invention, then, comprises the for movement upwardly and back, clearance be-' features hereinafter fully described, and particuing allowed in the slot 11 in the plate, whereby larly pointed out in the claims, the following dethe end 7 may be' displaced for clamping and un-' scription and the annexed drawing setting forth clamping over the spectacle rim. The clamping 70 in detail certain structure illustrative of the inelement '7 preferably carries on its working face vention, such being indicative however, of but a acushioning element 12, which may be of leather, few of the various forms in which the principle rubber, etc., and such element may be suitably of the invention may be employed. affixed to the metal end, forinstance perforations In said annexed drawing:- 13 being provided inthe metal, facilitating fas- 75 Fig. 1 is a front elevational view showing an tening, sealing, and the like. At each side on the embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical forward face of the plate 5, a slide-way is prosection of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse section vided, this advantageously beingin the form of a taken substantially on the line III-III, Fig. 1; channel 14 having overhung edges. Within such Fig. 4 is an isometric view, and Fig. 5 is a front channel at the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, astem 15 80' elevational view of details; Fig. 6 is a front eleslidably carries the testing-glass 4, being connectvational view of a modification; Fig; '7 is a similar. ed thereto'at one margin, for instance by fore and view of a detail; Fig. '8 is an elevational view of a aft clip-plates 16 with screw-fastened extension line-chart in accordance with the invention, the 17 to the stem 15. The stem 15 is of a section confsca'le being greatly reduced as compared with that forming to the overhung sides of the channel ,14, of the other figures; and Fig. 9 is anisometric and is movable up and down therein for regulation assembly view showing the testing segment and of the position of the test-"glass. For holding the line-chart in use-association. stem against accidental displacement, frictional In Fig. 1 of the drawing there is shown a testor resilient engagement is provided by the chan- 35 glass with mounting and holder, as applied to a ne1 wall, and this'may be furthered by arranging a 90" spectacle frame of ordinary type, comprising the slit 18 at the junction of the side of the channel bridge 2 and rims 3. The general holding means with the base thereof, such slit-extending through is arranged to clamp over such spectacle frame, a large portion of the channel expanse at one thereby presenting the testing glass 4 inregulaside. correspondingly, the portion 19 of, the

' ble position in the lower portion of the field of channel wall separated by the slit 18 may act as 95 vision. To this end, a carrier, conveniently in the a binding spring fr'ictionally holding the slideform of a skeletonized plate 5 may be dimensioned stem 15 in. the position to which it is set. In the such as to abut the spectacle-rim without obfight-handchannel 14','as viewed in Fig. 1, a slide structing the field of vision, and carry at certain 20 of section corresponding to the channeLislikepoints, preferably below, lugs or projections 6 wise provided. This however carries at its lower 1' hooked sufficiently to engage securely with the end a scale 21 having at its center point an index rim, while a clamping element 7 is presented opor pointer 22. The clip -plate 16 mounting the posite, such as to allow clamping and unclamptest-glass 4, also carries anindex or pointer 23, ing of thedevice onto the spectacle frame. Howthis registering'over the scale 21; I A

so ever, instead of the device being clamped to a The testing-glassese arelens-power segments, 105

spectacle frame, it will be obvious that it can be also segments without lens power but of a colorjust as readily clamped to a lens which is not sursuppressingcharacter, as will be; referred to more rounded by a frame. Conveniently, the clamping particularly hereinafter. p element 7 may be in the form of a sheet-metal In theform shown in- Fig. 6, the similar skeleprojection extending in bowed form from the uptonized plate 5 is arranged to clamp over a spec- 1 l: recting the stem tion is attained. For fine centering of tacle frame, the clamping element '7 again being provided as an extension of the spring-like bow 9 carried from the upper end of the plate, which is preferably tapered or domed, and slide-ways 14 are again provided at each side, the one containing the vertically adjustable scale-slide 20 and the other containing the vertically adjustable stem 15a. At its lower end, the latter stem carries a guide-way 14a, which. in its construction may be similar to that of the guide 14 already described. In the guide-way 14a, a slide-stem 24 is arranged, and this in turn carries the testingglass 4a, this being mounted in clip-plate 16a, an extension. from which provides the pointer 23a for registration over the scale 21. The testing-glas 4a is sufiiciently narrow to allow lateral change of position, in regulation to the centering requirements of each particular patient tested. These segments 4a are again provided in both lens-power, and in color-suppressing non-lens glass. I

For gauging the upper edgeof the bifocal segment with respect to a lens to which it is to be applied, means for presenting a series of horizontal lines at reading distance is provided. This may most conveniently be incorporated ona chart 25, the lines 26 being printed or otherwise distinguished thereon, and desirably a short mid-line 2'? being present. These lines 26, 27, may be black, but preferably are in color bearing such a relation to the test-glass that the latter may sup-' press that particular color as viewed therethrough. .For instance, with the lines 26, 27 in red, the testing-glass 4 or 4a m'ay be of a. charac-l ter suppressing red. The lines 26 may also be individually designated by numbers, as for example 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, reading downwardly. The line 2'7 will then be fractionally numbered 203 /2.

In carrying out a test with the equipment, a spectacle frame of the form the patient is to wear is put on. The testing-glass support is then set onto .this .frame, the spring-bow 9 being pressed upwardly and inwardlyas the device is placed into position with the projections 6 hooking under the clamping element 7 is then allowed to spring back into place, coming into engagement against the upper rim. If the spectacle frame 3 already carries a lens having refractive correction as desired for distance use, the'test-glass 4 may then be applied with lens-power for the additional correction for reading or near use. Such testingglasses, as seen, may be readily inserted by di- 15 upwardly into the guide-way 14, andthese lens-power segments may be successively applied until the requisite near-correcthe bifocal segments with respect to the distance-lenses, the

laterally-adjustable test-glasses 4a may be employed, these allowing regulated movement to right or left, as required for particularv centering in any instance, and bymeans of the scale 28 on the stem 24,with respect to the index-point 29 on the support-stem, an accurate measure for the centering may be attained. For the vertical positioning the chart 25 isplaced before the patient, and with the head in customary reading position, the testing-glass 4 or 4a is adjusted up and down until the upper edge thereof is located at a suitable point with respect to the general distance-lens. The determinant for this may be taken as the mid-line, and as seen in Fig. 9, the line of vision sighting over the edge of the testing-glass 4 is such as to successively sweep the spectacle frame rim, and the lines 26, 27 on the chart as the testing-glass is moved up or down, andcorrespondingly, the upper edge of the testing-glass, representing the ultimate bifocal segment, may be positioned with exactness, the actual position finally attained being shown by the pointer 28 or 23a on the scale 21. It will be understood that the slide 21 is adjusted primarily to the center-line for any given spectacle and is left there while using that particular frame; while-the upper edge of the testing-glass, and the corresponding final position for the bifocal segment, may be adjusted with respect to the lines on the chart 25, using the lens segments as described foregoing. Generally in practice, 'better results are obtained by mp ying colored lines and color-suppressing testingglasses. In this, with lines 26, 27 in red for instance, and testing-glasses 4 or 4a of a composition to suppress red, with adjustment of the testing-glass up and down, the line of sight over the testing-glass will show the corresponding portion of the chart as having red lines, while the lower. portion viewed through the testing glass will appear to have black lines. Such sharp color-dif-' ferentiation between the two sets of lines thus facilitates quick and accurate locating of the height proper for the upper edge of the testing-' glass with respect to the general'field of vision of the patient. This may then be read off on the scale 21, and the bifocal segment will be accordingly positioned with respect to the other lens. m'

Other modes of applying the principle, of the invention maybe employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the 110 means stated in any of thefollowing claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:-

1. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising a testingglass for the lower portion of the field of vision, means for holding said glass, a frame for carrying said holding means, said holding means being adjustable on said frame so that the testing glass may be properly positioned relative to said spectacle frame, projections on said frame for engaging the periphery ofa spectacle frame, and a movable clamping element, for engaging the periphery of the spectacle frame at an opposite arcuate point, said clamping element having a cushioning facing.

2. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising atestingglass for the lower portionl of the field of vision, a support-stem connected to .one margin of said glass, and a channel slide-way for said stem, said 130 channel having overhung edgesand a slit between the base of the channel and such an overhung edge. 3. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising a testingglass for the lower'portion of the fieldof vision, a support-stem connected to one. m'argini of said glass, a slide-way for said stem, a carrier for said slide-way clampable to a spectacle, another slideway spaced from the first-mentioned slide-way, and a scale-carrying stem mounted in such latter'slide-way to co-act with the testing. glass.

' 4. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising a testing glass for the lower portion of the field of vision, a support-stem connected to one margin of said glass, a slide-way for said stem, another stem upon which said slide-way is mounted in a transverse position, and a further slide-way for said last-named stem.

5. 'Eye-testing apparatus,

comprising a testing support-stem connected to one margin of said glass, a slide-way for said stem, another stem to which said slide-way is affixed transversely, a further slide-way for said last-named stem, and a carrier therefor clampable to a spectacle.

6. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising a testingglass for the lower portion of the field of vision, a carrier clampable to a spectacle, a slide-way at each side on the anterior face of said carrier, a stem in one such slide-way carrying a scale, a pointer on said scale, a pointer on the mounting of said testing-glass, and a stem in the other slide-way for carrying said testing-glass.

'7. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising a testingglass for the lower portion of the field of vision, a carrier clampable to a spectacle, a slide-way at each side on the anterior face of said carrier, a stem in one such slide-way carrying a scale, a pointer on such scale, a stem connected to one margin of said testing-glass, a pointer in association with said testing-glass, a stem in the other mentioned slide-way, and a slide-way affixed to said stem transversely for receiving the testing-glass supporting stem.

8. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising a testingglass for the lower portion of the field of vision, and means for positioning the testing-glass at the lower portion of the field of vision, said means including a carrier clampable to a spectacle, said carrier embodying a skeletonized plate, a resilient clamp on the upper portion of said carrier for engaging the spectacle, and a slide-way at each side on the anterior face of said carrier.

9. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising a testing-glass for the lower portion of the field of vision, a carrier clampable with a spectacle, a bowed clamping member fastened to the upper portion of said carrier and having its free end extending through a slot-way in the carrier whereby to engage a spectacle, a slide-way at each side on the anterior face of said carrier, and a support stem for said testing-glass engageable in one such slideway.

10. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising a testing-glass for the lower portion of the field of vision, a carrier engageable with a spectacle, said carrier embodying a skeletonized plate, projections on the lower portion thereof for engaging a spectacle, a bowed clamping element fastened to the upper portion of said plate and having its free end extending through a slot in the plate, a slide-way at each side on the anterior face of said carrier, said slide-ways being of channel form with overhung edges, a slit between the base and one side of each such slide-way whereby to provide a resilient frictionally engaging portion, a stem in each such slide-way, a scale carried by one such stem, and a testing-glass carried by the other.

11. Eye-testing apparatus, comprising a carrier, means for clamping said carrier to a spectacle, a slide-way at each side on the anterior face of said carrier, a stem engageable in each such slide-way, one stem supporting a testing-glass and the other stem carrying a scale, a pointer on said scale, a projection on the upper end of the said scale-carrying stem, anda pointer carried with the testing-glass.

12. A device for determining the proper relation between the vision fields of multifocal ophthalmic lenses, .said device being of such a type that it may be readily applied to or removed from a regular spectacle frame or lens, said device comprising a framework having means for resiliently gripping the lens or spectacle frame to which it is applied, a testing segment member adapted to be adjusted on said framework relative to said lens or spectacle frame to determine the proper position of the reading segment relative to said lens or said spectacle frame, said testing segment member being vertically adjustable on said framework, means for holding said segment member in any position to which it is adjusted on said framework, means for indicating the vertical position of said segment relative to said lens or the lens which is to be mounted in said spectacle frame, said means comprising a scale carried by said framework, and means for vertically adjusting said scale on said framework.

JOSEPH W. SMITH. 

